Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday-Chapter 221: The Decision She Didn’t Want to Make

The silence of her office stretched long after Davian left, yet Grace’s mind was anything but quiet.

She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the city skyline. Her fingers were curled into fists at her sides. The idea of being manipulated, forced into anything, made her blood boil.

Her first instinct was to eliminate the problem - killing Davian King Parker.

It was logical. Clean. A bullet between his eyes, a car accident, poison in his drink - she had countless ways to make him disappear. And yet, as she entertained the thought, her sharp mind dissected the reality of it.

Davian wasn’t just any businessman.

He was the most powerful businessman on the continent who controlled a vast empire of wealth and influence. Taking him down wouldn’t be simple. On top of that, he was an ex-military man. A man who had spent years leading high-risk missions, surviving dangerous situations, and outmaneuvering threats much deadlier than her.

Even if she managed to kill him, there would be consequences. His death would bring unwanted attention. The Parker family had too many connections. If something happened to him, people would start digging, and she couldn’t afford that level of scrutiny.

No. Killing him was not an option.

Which left her with only one choice.

She had to agree to his proposal.

But on her terms.

* * *

Davian wasn’t surprised when he received the call from Grace two days later.

"Let’s meet. We need to finalize the details."

She chose a neutral location. It was a high-end private club where they could talk without prying eyes.

When he arrived, she was already waiting for him in a secluded lounge, dressed in an elegant black dress and her eyes unreadable.

Davian took the seat across from her while a slow smirk tugged at his lips. "So, you have come to your senses?"

Grace exhaled sharply. "I have come to negotiate."

He leaned back and amusement flickered in his eyes. "I’m listening."

She placed a sleek black folder on the table, mirroring the way he had done in her office days ago. "Here are my conditions."

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."

"One," she began in an even voice, "our marriage will stay a secret. You can announce that you are getting married, but my identity will remain undisclosed."

"Reason?"

She tilted her head. "Do I need one?"

He smirked. "Fair enough. Continue."

"Two," she continued, "I will accompany you in public when required, but we will not live together. We will continue with our separate lives."

Davian hummed. "I assume that means I won’t be getting a ’loving wife’ experience?"

Her expression didn’t change. "Not even in your dreams, Young Master Parker."

He chuckled, almost enjoying how much she despised him.

"And three," she finished, "the marriage lasts for one year. Once the contract is over, we divorce. No strings attached. And you will hand over every single piece of evidence you have against me."

Davian studied her for a moment. She was smart... calculative. She was ensuring she had a way out before even stepping in.

Finally, he nodded. "Agreed."

Grace’s gaze sharpened. "You will hand over the evidence after the year ends?"

"I give you my word," he confirmed. "One year, and you walk away clean."

She didn’t trust him. That much was obvious. But he had backed her into a corner, and they both knew it. She reached into the folder and pulled out the legal documents. "Sign it."

Davian picked up the pen, his eyes locking onto hers as he smoothly signed his name. Then, without breaking eye contact, he slid the papers back to her.

"You don’t want to check the papers? What if I have added something you won’t like?" She asked, keeping her expression neutral.

He smirked again, his confidence not faltering even for a mere second. "You won’t dare."

She hated it. She hated him.

"Looks like we are getting married, Mrs. Parker."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Don’t push your luck." But she knew it was too late to back down.

The process was simple, efficient. Within hours, their marriage was legally registered.

No lavish wedding, no rings, no romance. Just signatures on paper, binding them in a contract neither wanted... at least, not her.

And yet, despite the cold legality of it all, something in Davian felt strangely amused by the situation. The Grace Blackwood was now his wife.

She looked stunning even as she glared at him, her entire demeanor screaming that she hated every second of this.

He leaned down slightly, whispering, "Smile, sweetheart. We are officially husband and wife now."

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She gave him a sickly sweet smile before stepping on his foot... hard.

Davian barely held back a laugh as he realized just how much fun he was going to have.

- - -

The next day, Grace found herself in the Parker estate, standing beside Davian as he introduced her to Grandfather Parker.

She had prepared herself for a traditional, old-fashioned man, but the elder Parker was sharp. His eyes, despite his age, were full of wisdom and intelligence.

She almost didn’t recognize him until he started recounting their first meeting and how he had been wanting to make her his granddaughter-in-law ever since then.

If she knew back then that helping an elderly while crossing the road would turn out like this, she would have minded her own business and let those teenagers bully him.

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"Grandfather," Davian said smoothly, "this is my wife, Grace."

The old man’s eyes gleamed with delight as he spoke, "So, you finally listened to me."

Grace offered a polite smile, playing the role she needed to. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chairman Parker."

"What Chairman? Call me Grandfather." The old man reprimanded her sweetly, making her nod her head in understanding before she softly murmured - "Grandfather..."

The old man beamed and gestured for them to sit. "Come, come! Let’s have tea! I want to know everything about my granddaughter-in-law."

Davian smirked at her as if to say, Time to play nice.